A Changed Story
by flamingflight
Summary: The Tendos had a perfect marriage...the Saotomes didn't...what if this wasn't always true?
1. A Hero's Daughter Turned Peasant

A Changed Story   
Section 1, A Hero's Daughter Now A Peasant  
By Max-chan  
  
Author's Notes: Hmmm...what to say...what to say? Nothin'. Nada. Zip. :) Hold up, yeah, I'm making the two weddings in the beginning a Western one because I'm not entirely sure how a Japanese one goes. Now you can try to enjoy...:)...  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to (dan dan dan dan!) Rumiko Takahashi.  
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Nodoka stared in the long mirror as she gave a soft smile. Her dark, red hair was tied into a neat bun that was covered by her pure white veil. Her magnificent grayish eyes and radiant features held little or no make-up as she found the usage of them ridiculous. Even the simple, traditional wedding dress she wore could not hide the stunning figure. The girl was a beauty and yet she did not want to be, but today she was happy and it showed in the flush on her cheeks. Today she was marrying the man of her dreams and she was happy.  
Kimiko's lips quivered as she stared at her own image in the mirror. Her eyes were blotchy with tears and even the light make-up on her face could not hide the pain in her features. Her plain, brown hair was tied into a beautiful crown on her head and a veil adorned it making her into the princess she always was. Her elaborate wedding dress only enhanced her figure and the expensive pearls on her neck were only her tears. Her lively face was pale and she had to suppress the sobs threatenting to overcome her. She didn't want to be here today. Didn't want to marry a man she hated and did not know simply because of his wealth. Damn her father anyways! Making those debts and then running away for her mother to pay them, but of course her mother had to find a simpler route. One that involved marrying her daughter off to the first family that needed a bride.  
  
The two girls turned towards each other at that moment and it seemed as if they were a world apart. The always silent and serious Nodoka was ecstatic with joy and the always optimistic Kimoko was depressed and saddened. How could it be so? When had their lives been so altered? When they were children, Kimiko was the one imagining to marry the man of her dreams while Nodoka was the one saying it was more practical to marry for family connections. How could it end like this? Nodoka marrying a guy that was irresponsible and Kimiko marrying a guy that was simple.  
  
"Nodoka, what am I going to do?" the brown-haired girl sobbed because to be truthful, she was only a girl.  
The ever reasonable girl just stood strong and even though she was changing her last name this day she will always be the strong wall, Kimiko could lean on.  
"Walk out that door with me and face your destiny whatever it may be," Nodoka said. With a toughening in her eyes, Kimiko walked over and placed her tiny hand in her friend's.   
Looking at the door as if it was her death, she raised her chin and said, "Let's go then, Nodo-chan, and remember...whatever happens, I'll always be your friend."  
"And I you, Kimi-chan," the other whispered but she knew that things were changing. Her road in life and Kimiko's were altering and though she wished it weren't so...she was losing her best friend.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Eighteen years into the Future  
  
"Akane, get your lazy butt in here! Why is this floor so dirty?! Aren't you supposed to clean it?! I can't believe I have to deal with such a lazy, ignorant girl of a daughter! I can't see what the boys see in you either, you look such like a lump of dirt rather then a girl. You better work and learn manners to make up for your lack of beauty, girl, if you want to make a good marriage!" and the woman continued her choking rant on the floor of the kitchen.  
The middle child's eyes hardened and she stood up at the sound of her mother's voice. With quick steps, she walked out of the house and slammed the front door. 14-year old Akane Tendo watched her older sister leave before turning fearful eyes to her eldest sibling. She cringed at her mother's voice and as always looked to the other child for support and help.  
"Go, I'll deal with her," Kasumi mouthed and with a thankful smile, Akane grabbed her schoolbag and ran out of the house.  
  
The dark-haired girl ran down the road toward her and Nabiki's high school, her breath quick and uneasy. She didn't want this life...hated it...it was so horrible and she was always so afraid. She felt guilty for always leaving Kasumi to deal with everything but she couldn't face it. The wind pushed against the girl's face as she pushed herself harder. She wanted to run away, run away from it all. Tears entered those brown eyes again and she started to cry as she ran. Why was it so unfair? Why?! Where was her hero? Where was Kasumi and Nabiki's hero? Why did they all have to face this alone?! Then the tears turned to sobs. *Please!* she begged to any force unknown *please, I can't do this alone. Please give me a hero to protect me...* Some say she was answered with a hero a year later...others say she was answered with a punishment in the form of a villain a year later. Only time will tell.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ranma Saotome grinned in an annoying way at his two little sisters who were trying to attack him. The place they were fighting in was a beautiful garden made specifically in the Chinese fashion with a small koi pond. He had been begging his mother for a dojo for some time now but she just told him that there was simply no space left in the large yard to fit a dojo.   
"Ranma Saotome, you stop picking on poor Ranko and poor Roki this minute!" an older voice scolded and the boy just laughed as he turned to the beautiful girl on the doorstep, "Aw, c'mon, onee-chan, I'm only teasing them."  
Putting her slender hands on her hip, Nami Saotome just frowned and said, "Don't lie to me, boy, I can see straight through you. Now, stop it, we have a plane to catch. Mom and dad went ahead to the airport and Formen is waiting in the car and we all know how he can get if we take too long."  
  
Raising his hand to stop the fight, Ranma looked skeptically at his sister.  
"This spoken from the girl who takes an hour getting ready," Ranko said voicing his thoughts. Ranma grinned at his younger sister and Roki gave a slight giggle.  
Giving a betrayed expression at Roki, Nami said in a mock hurt tone, "Oh no! Have you followed these two evil demons and betrayed your loving sister, Roki?"  
"Oh come on, give her some credit," Ranko said rolling her eyes and clasping a hand on her twin's shoulder, "she was never on your side to begin with." The middle Saotome boy just rolled his eyes and walked into the large villa.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A year later (Akane's Story)  
The girl stood quietly in awe at the college party, trying to hide herself in the crowd so that no one would notice the underage highschooler there. She knew she shouldn't be here but it was just so tempting to use the flyer/ticket she found outside the Furinkan high school. Actually, she wasn't even going to use it, was going to give it to Nabiki since she seemed to love these things so much...but then things got...hectic...at home and she needed to escape. It took about three hours of wandering the streets before she discovered the flyer she had placed in her jacket pocket earlier that day. It had seemed like a good idea at the time but now she wasn't so sure.  
  
The music was so loud she wondered if her ears would become deaf after this and even the contents of the drinks they were passing around was questionable. Seeing a couple making out in a corner, Akane blushed and pushed her way towards a balcony outside. No one was out there except for a couple making out but the young girl figured she could ignore their presence as long as they didn't make much noise. It was cool outside and the air was brisk but Akane didn't mind, the bright stars in the dark night made up for everything. Leaning against the railing, she sighed and started to dream again. Dream about a charming, handsome, sweet Prince coming in to save her and whisk her away to his castle.  
Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her and a voice whispering in her ear, "Beautiful night, isn't it?" Akane turned around quickly in shock to stare at the tall boy. She recognized him as the guy making out with the girl on the balcony earlier. She could also see why the girl would make out with him. With that thought came a magnificent blush.  
  
"Ah, so the beauty does blush. What's your name, little girl?" the boy smiled his perfect, white toothed smiled.  
Hearing the guy call her a little girl, Akane pouted and turned away.   
"I'm not a little girl," she whispered.  
Laughing, the boy leaned against the railing and the 15-year old girl was forced to look into his perfect blue eyes.  
"That's okay," he said, grinning again, "I'll tell you a secret. I'm not supposed to be here either. I'm only sixteen."  
The short-haired girl's mouth fell open as she looked him up and down. The tall boy looked anything but sixteen but she could see where one might think that with his perfect looks.  
"So, what's your name, 'little one'?" she asked mockingly and Akane gulped before replying, "A-Akane Tendo."  
"Well, Akane Tendo," the 16-year old boy said holding her chin up with one hand, "Do you mind being kissed?" Before she could reply, his lips had already descended on hers. With that question he claimed her lips. With that question her claimed her heart. With that question he claimed her life. And no, dear reader, his name was not Ranma Saotome.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
He hadn't given her his number but she knew him from his name. From the reputation of his family and of his wealth. Taski Gendo, second son of the Gendo millionaires. She hadn't needed to know that after the first night when she woke up and felt happy about herself. She hadn't needed to know that when she found he wasn't laying beside her and was gone. But she had needed to know that when two months later, the doctor told her she was pregnant. Now, sitting in the 'hall' of the Gendo mansion, she wondered if it had been such a good idea to tell her family, after all. Her father wanted her to get an abortion and her mother had dragged her here. She had been to afraid to refuse. Now, she sat between a half-drunk father and a furious mother.  
  
The door opened to one of the main rooms and a butler in a plain, brown kimono stood there with a condescending look on his face.  
"Mr. and Mrs. Tendo wishes to see you now," he said. Akane felt a hand pull her and drag her into the room, it's nails biting into her skin.  
"Mother, let go," she whispered as tears entered her eyes but the woman paid her no heed. Inside the expensively decorated room sat a stern man in his mid-forties and a tall woman that seemed to just come out of a magazine called 'the torture of bad servants'.  
  
"Have a seat, Mrs. Tendo," the man said, choosing to ignore Soun.  
"I prefer to stand," came the classic, defiant reply.  
Shaking his head as if it was no matter to him, the man continued, "I understand that there are certain...'issues' concerning your daughter and my son."  
"There are no issues!" Kimiko Tendo screamed, "your bastard son made my daughter pregnant!"  
Looking at the woman as if he was looking at a stain on his shirt, Warder Gendo said calmly, "It takes two people to make a baby, Ms. Tendo. Now, my wife and I have come to decisions about this and-"  
"No!" Kimiko yelled, "that boy is going to marry my daughter!"  
"Never!" the woman sitting quietly yelled back meeting Kimiko's shout volume by volume.  
  
"We are not making judgments, but our son can never marry your daughter, he already has a girl whom he will marry when he wishes too. Now, as for your daughter, we are willing to give her an amount to pay her for her trouble-"  
"You mean you're going to pay her off," the woman interrupted but the man said, "If that is how you wish to see it, fine. And after the child is born and we can verify it is indeed Taski's child, we will give the child an amount in the bank that it can use later on. What do you say, Ms. Tendo?"  
Her once beautiful eyes shooting hate and spite, Kimiko's grip on Akane tightened as she said, "No. And you're not getting away with this, Gendo. I know you're kind and I'm going to expose you and your family until it has nothing left, you hear me? This isn't finished."  
The man's eyes fell several degrees as he said, "I suggest you leave now, Ms. Tendo." With a last resentful look, Kimiko dragged her daughter and husband out of that room. She didn't noticed the blood she caused on Akane's arm.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The six month pregnant teenager pushed herself into the restaurant and sat on a stool by the counter. Placing her small, leather bag on the stool beside her, she grunted and took one of the many menus from the counter. Seeing the prices, Akane sighed and felt a darker depression fall on her. She only had a twenty left and had to find a place to stay at Her stomach growled angrily, but she could not satisfy it for she simply could not afford the meal she so desperately wanted. Akane watched the chef at work...he really was great at what he did, almost like the martial arts she always saw on the small, television set at home. Home. That seemed like such a far away place from here. All her life she hadn't gone outside the vicinity of Nerima and now here she was, all the way in Osaka. She felt differing feelings about leaving though. The sense of freedom and non-responsibility was a plus, but the hunger and days without baths was definitely a downside.  
  
A bouncing teenager suddenly appeared straight in Akane's line of vision. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, the Tendo girl instinctively put her hand on her stomach and began to examine the other girl. The girl in the apron with a spatula in her hand had long, shining brown hair and large brown eyes that were lighter then her own. On her face was a beautiful smile as she asked brightly, "So, what would you have today?"  
Feeling embarrassment reached up her spine, Akane got onto the defensive.  
"Water," she said with a glint in her eye to challenge the other girl.  
The brown-haired girl's smile faded somewhat as she asked, "What's your name, sugar?"  
"Akane," the pregnant teenager said abruptly.  
Giving a lop-sided grin, the chef's assistant asked in a not entirely fake cowgirl accent, "So, Akane, I see your bag over there. Do you need a job? Do ya need a place to stay, hon?"  
  
Taken aback by the other girl's openness and friendliness after all that she faced in her life, Akane stuttered, "I...yes...I mean no...I mean maybe if...I...oh, I don't know what I mean!"  
Not flinching a hair, Ukyo asked, "You want a job, Akane with no last name?"  
After a moment, the other girl answered, "Yes."  
"You want a place to stay, Akane with no last name?"  
"Yes!" she said more strongly.  
"You got it," the chef's assistant smiled before bundling off to whisper something into the talented chef's ear and pointing at where Akane chef. The old chef looked over at Akane for a second before nodding and whispering something back at his assistant and protege.  
Jumping back to stand in front of Akane, behind the counter with a brilliant upturned of the lips.  
"Well, congratulations Akane with no last name, you got yourself a job as the greatest Okonomiyakji's chef in the world's second assistant. You should feel grateful, y'know, he never accepts anyone. Shoot, he only accept me 'cause I'm his daughter. Naturally, you'll have to live with us upstairs so that the secrets of the sauce won't get out," the behind-the-counter girl winked at Akane.  
  
The Tendo girl's jaw just fell and she asked, "But...I...you're not lying?"  
"'Course not! Why should I? Now, follow me, I'll take you upstairs and show you where you can keep your bag. You'll have to work hours here to pay off your room and board though. Oh yeah, by the way, my name's Ukyo. Strange, I know, but hey nobody's perfect, right? Now, come on, what are ya waiting for?"   
Akane struggled to stand up and took her bag in her small hand. Ukyo leaned over the counter and her eyes widened.  
"Whoa," she gasped and instantly Akane's mistrust was back.  
"Is this going to be a problem? Because I can just leave."  
  
"No!" Ukyo laughed and said as she walked from behind the counter to stand next to Akane.  
"After all, the more the merrier, right?"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A chirping bird could be heard and sunlight peeked through Akane's eyelids as she opened them. Feeling the soft futon beneath her, the girl immediately remembered her surroundings and why she was here. The door to the room she shared with Ukyo was open and a delicious aroma of cooked Okonomiyaki floated in. A bright smile on her face, Akane got up and made her way down the hallway to the bathroom that Ukyo had shown her yesterday when she arrived. When that was finished, the teenaged girl made her way down the steps until she entered the bright restaurant. Mr. Kounji was cooking while Ukyo was busy cleaning the tables and floors before the restaurant opened.  
  
Hearing her, both father and daughter looked up with dazzling smiles. Dropping her broom on the floor, Ukyo walked over to help Akane walk.   
"So," the girl with a boy's name asked, "how was your first day here?"  
Giving a cheeky upturn of the lips, Akane answered, "Okay, I guess. Um...thanks...really, you both don't know how much I appreciate this."  
Flicking her wrist as if it was nothing, the Okonomiyaki chef said, "It's okay, girl. We needed an extra helping hand anyways and besides...it's always better to have two students in case Ukyo decides to do off with me one day."  
Shooting her father a fake glare, Ukyo said, "Yeah, now get up girl, it's not good for you to just be sitting around all day with that baby. You're going to help me waitress and after that big bundle of crying spit is born, dad'll teach you the secrets of Okonomiyaki cooking and Martial Arts."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Now, Akane, listen carefully to what I am about to tell you for it will be very important in your training," Mr. Kounji said in a commanding tone.  
Giving a brief glance to her left where Ukyo was rocking her eight month baby, Akane nodded.  
"Good," the chef said before starting his lesson, "Every martial artist has a hidden weapon of ki uniquely his or her own. Ukyo's weapon is her large Spatula and mine is my magnificent knife. Yours still remains to be seen, my dear. Now, seeing as how you were not trained before, it might be difficult in finding your weapon. Instead of simply making you concentrate to get the weapon, I will have to push you to your limit for then it will appear. Are you ready, Akane?"  
  
The girl nodded before she felt a series of blows hit her dead center. She flew across the room and smacked against the wall before realizing that Mr. Kounji had pulled the punches.  
Getting up slowly, she heard the man say, "Use the blocking techniques I've shown you!" Then, another onslaught of punches and kicks were thrown her way and this time she managed to block a few. The third time it happened she managed to hold out for a few minutes with her blocks. The fourth time, however, Mr. Kounji did something different and aimed a fatal kick towards her head. Akane didn't know what happened but she felt a burning heat flow through her body before it solidified in her outstretched hands. With a bam, a large mallet connected with Mr. Kounji's head.  
  
With a shout, Akane let the hammer go and it disappeared. Standing up, Mr. Kounji gave one of his rare, genuine smiles as he said with a clasp on Akane's shoulder, "There's hope for you yet, my dear."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A bell chimed as the 17-year old boy entered the restaurant called 'Okonomiyaki!'. It was full and crowded even at this time and there was a line of people waiting to be seated. The teenaged fighter's ever observant eyes watched the great chef behind the counter. The man was obviously very skilled not only in Okonomiyaki, but in Martial Arts as well. Despite the crowd, there seemed to be only two waitresses and by the agile and quick way they were moving, the martial artist figured they were good at Martial Arts as well. The first was a tall girl with long brown hair tied in a pony-tail and large, light brown eyes. She wore the traditional Okonomiyaki outfit with the top robe and tight pants. The second was a dark, blue-haired girl with large dark brown eyes like chocolate.   
  
Suddenly, the brown haired girl jumped over to where the line was with grace and agility. When she landed and looked up at him with those mocking, brown eyes, Ryoga felt his face flush.  
Noticing, the girl grinned in amusement and said off-handedly, "Cute bandanna. Now, follow me, sugar if you want to get a table." With that she started off with a blushing Ryoga to follow her. They edged this way and that through the swarming groups of tables but then a scream cut them in their tacks. Ryoga turned around to see the chef clutch his chest and fall down as the blue waitress jumped over hordes of people to get through him. He felt the brown-haired waitress next to him scream, "Daddy!" before dropping her notepad and running over also.  
  
The crowd of people swarmed now and though Ryoga tried to make his way to the center where the man was...he soon found himself out of the shop and having no idea where he was. Well, Ryoga hoped the man would end up alright.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane held the little two-year old on her side as she walked down the hallway to the restaurant. It was morning and the windows allowed the sunlight to enter. Akane saw Ukyo standing behind the counter and cleaning it slowly as tears dropped down her cheeks unnoticed. Putting her baby down, Akane told her child to run off and play while she spoke with Auntie Ukyo. Slowly, she made her way towards Ukyo as she stared at the large restaurant. What was she doing here? She and Ukyo weren't even eighteen yet and now they have no one to depend on. Akane stopped in her tracks as her thoughts went to where she was always afraid of going.  
  
She and Ukyo were only seventeen and she, herself, had a two year old child to raise. It's been two months now and the money holders would be knocking on their door any minute now. True, the pain of losing her teacher and father-figure still lingered and ate at her insides, but the worry was there also. What were they going to do now? Who were they going to depend on?  
Suddenly, Akane gave herself a mental slap. A new voice that she never knew existed spoke up, disgusted with herself. *I need someone to depend on! Where's my hero?* the voice in her head mocked her scornfully *that's how you always were Akane. Selfish. Thinking of only yourself. How pathetic is that. Always asking 'why' and never doing anything. Why don't you wake up for once? There's no hero but yourself. Why don't you stop whining and complaining and do something? Look around you, Akane, if your selfish-blinded eyes can. There's a little kid and a teenage girl who just lost her father, the only family she's ever known until you. *They* need a hero! For once, why don't you think of someone else besides yourself?*  
Tears ran down Akane's cheeks as she tried to block out the voice but it continued on relentlessly, that little voice called conscience. It continued on until she accepted what it said and learned her lesson.  
  
Ukyo looked up from her dull haze of pain when she felt a sptula slapped in her hand. Akane stood beside her with a determined look in her once broken eyes. Ukyo saw that there was a spatula in Akane's hands as well.  
"C'mon, Ucchan," Akane said, "It's time we stopped lazing around and got to work...d-dad would have wnated us too."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  



	2. Boy Running

A Changed Story

Section 2, Boy Running

Author's Notes: Darn my crappy computer! :) Sorry, guys, that it took so long. My comp broke down and so I have to use my brother's (which is not good). Let's just hope my computer gets better soon. And yes, folks, no matter how changed his life may be, Genma Saotome will never change. 

Disclaimers: Not me. Not me. Not me. Ranma 1/2 and all it's products belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Okay, the 'Isle of View' thing was taken from the magnificent Xanth novel Heaven Sent by Piers Anthony.

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{Ranma's Story}

The little boy looked up at his father expectantly, his large blue-gray eyes nervous and excited.

Genma gave a nervous laugh as he continued to wrap the fish sausage around his son.

"Pop, this is gonna make me real strong, right? It's gonna make me the best martial artist, right?" the 5-year old asked.

"Of course son," Genma said as he pulled the cover off of the hole in the ground. The sounds of spitting cats could be heard. "But remember what you promised?"

"That I wouldn't tell mom or Ranko, or Roki or Nami about this. I know, pop. They're just girls, they don't understand," Ranma said, grinning from ear to ear, not minding the tightly wrapped fish sausage around him. Genma picked his son up and held him over the hole. The boy looked down and his eyes held a hint of fear, though he tried to hide it.

"Um...pop, what are you going to do?" he asked.

"Be brave, boy," the man said before dropping his son into the pit of cats.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nodoka pushed the double stroller into the house. Right away she knew something was wrong. It was way too quiet and peaceful. Where was her husband and son? Something was definitely wrong. 7-year old Nami Saotome skipped her way into the house after her mother. The little girl stopped abruptly and looked around with suspicious eyes.

"Mommy, where's pop and Ranma?" Nami asked her mother and Nodoka looked down at her with worried eyes.

"I don't know. I just hope Genma hasn't done any-ahh!" A small black and red form had hailed itself at Nodoka and laid in her lap. The woman who was now on the floor stared at her crouched son who looked like he was...pruning? himself on her lap. Ranma gave a contented meow before snuggling closer to his mother. There was a crash nearby and Nami and Nodoka looked up to see a bruised and battered Genma trying to crawl into the room. The boy turned cat gave a hiss before trying to launch himself at the intruder. Nodoka reached out a hand and clamped it over her son's collar to prevent him from doing anything rash. Her lips thinned as she held onto her tiny son and walked over to her husband. 

"What did you do?" she asked, each syllable a weapon in Genma's destruction.

The man just coughed up a very beat up book. With narrowed eyes, Nodoka picked up the book and scanned through it. Her eyes widened and her anger increased to a disturbing height.

"Genma! You idiot! The Cat-Fist? This technique is forbidden with good reason! You didn't actually wrap Ranma in fish sausage and throw him into a pit of starving cats, did you?"

"Yes," came the croaked reply.

Nodoka's eyes narrowed even more. With a thrust of her hand, she threw the booklet down at Genma with a slight contempt. This may be the only time she truly despised her husband.

Her following words were crisp, but clear and straight to the point.

"Genma Saotome, you are to never ever touch my son with your insane ideas about martial arts, you hear me? You are from now on forbidden to teach him anything even related to martial arts." 

Genma's eyes widened and he started to sputter desperately to his wife, "But Nodoka, I have to-"

"No, you don't have to do anything, Genma, and so help me if you do, you will never see me or any of your children again," and then seeing her husband's eyes skim hopefully to Nami said, "and don't even think about brining the girls up on martial arts. None of our children will be taught under your rules and if you love them or me at all, you will respect my wishes." Genma looked at his wife and for a second Nodoka's heart cracked at the slightest hesitation she saw in them. A crack that was soon healed when the hesitation cleared and he bowed his head in acceptance.

Little did Nodoka know then, the crack never did leave her heart and only waited to be open again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And so, Nami, Ranma, and the twins, Roki and Ranko, grew up untouched by Genma's theology about how and what martial arts should be taught. The only evidence of Genma's stupidity being Ranma's almost insane fear and phobia of cats and felines. Sometimes though, as the Saotome children played tag, they would catch their father looking at them with an almost wistful expression as though he regretted something deeply. Of course the children did not grow up not learning how to defend themselves and they were taught by their mother the basic, honorable ways to protect their bodies. Not that they needed it seeing as how the children never encountered anybody with a true martial arts dedication. As a result of this, the four kids grew up thinking they were invincible. That was probably the only thing that they all had alike. Their sheer, subtle arrogance and self-confidence. They had little else in common.

Nami, who was born two years before Ranma and four years before the twins, was as different from the others as could be. She was her mother's little darling and was an exact replication of Nodoka. They were so alike. Maybe that was why she was her mother's favorite (not to say that Nodoka didn't care for her other children) and maybe that was why the two could barely stand each other. Growing up she had had her mother's looks and her mother's sense, with very little showing of Genma inside her. She was born with many talents and Nodoka took great care to nourish it. By the time she was sixteen, she was the shinning light of the Saotome family name. Everyone who was anyone knew the name of Nami Saotome just like they knew the names of all of the other Saotome children.

Next came Ranma who was everything that his sisters were and everything that they weren't. To lightly quote Betty Smith, who was born with his mother's invisible steel and his father's carelessness, recklessness and indifference. As he grew up, he seemed to have only two strong passions and fascinations, food and martial arts. For as much as Nodoka adored her oldest girl, Genma adored his oldest boy. Ranma studied every martial arts that he could get his hands on...books, karate, judo, but his parents traveling all the time made it difficult for him to truly learn and master any art. As much as the girls envied and hated Nami Saotome, they had loved and worshipped her brother. Newspapers and magazines all over the world spoke of him all the time...the boy that was going to be the heir to the Saotome millions. Nobody dared mention the fact of how unfair it was for Genma to leave all companies and his millions to Ranma rather then Nami. 

Ranko would probably have to be called the third oldest, despite gaining that title for being born only a few seconds before her sibling. Ranko was the opposite of Nami, as anyone could see. She had more of Genma in her then Nodoka and maybe that was why her mother felt she pitied the child more then love her as a mother should. Ranko, being unfortunate, was born with all of her father's weaknesses and very little of her mother's strength. To make things even more worse for her, she had Ranma's same insatiable desire for martial arts without the luck of being born a boy. Genma could not be bothered with a girl, any girls, when it was so clear that his son was destined for great things. All was not lost for Ranko Saotome, however, she still had her brother. Growing up, she had followed Ranma everywhere and tried to learn everything he did with a wide-eyed innocence. When she grew older, she did outrageous things to her father and mother's horror. The black sheep of the family so to speak. 

The most unfortunate and neglected of the Saotome children would probably have to be Roki. No one knew quite what to make of her. She was nothing like her mother and nothing like her father. If not for the fact that her twin, Ranko was so similar to Genma, people would have so much as said that Nodoka wasn't entirely faithful. The same height as Ranko, but without Ranko's coloring or Ranko's fire, she was passed over quite easily. While Ranko's hair was a flashing red, hers was a muddy brown. While Ranko's eyes were crystal clear blue, hers was a dark gray hidden behind large round glasses. She read too much to be noticed and the public noticed her about as much as they did green jello. Her parents even less so. But Roki didn't mind. She had three people who loved her greatly and would risk everything they had rather then lose her. She was Ranma, Nami's and Ranko's baby sister, but she was also much more then that. For years, she had been their entire life.

So there they are. The four Saotome children. Three girls and one boy. Soon to be three and one half girls and one half boy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranma stood uncomfortably in his tuxedo in the huge ballroom. He watched as couples whirled by him with laughter and smiles on their faces. Was it just him or was the chandelier making the room too hot? It must be the suit his mother picked out. He had told her that it was too tight and he was not going to be able to breathe in it, but she had already moved on to argue with Nami about her outfit. Speaking of Nami, she was dancing with a guy right now. Her dress as always was immaculate and Ranma knew for a fact that the smile on her face was more or boredom then of amusement. Serves her right, he thought ruefully, for trying to be so perfect all the time. Ranma heard a snort to his right and looked down at where Ranko and Roki sat at an empty table a few inches away from him. Ranko, in defiance had worn some ragged jeans and a big, black t-shirt she had swiped from a thrift store. Nodoka had protested slightly and then given up. Genma simply didn't noticed that the outfit was not exactly 'ballroom fashion'. Now, her hair in a pony-tail, she sat slouched glaring at the dance floor. Ranma moved his eyes from Ranko to Roki who sat in a prim, shiny brown dress with a book propped onto the table.

As though hearing his unspoken and unknown question, Rannko looked up from her book at Ranma.

"Why don't you go talk to some nice girl Ranma?" she asked indicating the crowd of girls moving swiftly through the ballroom to try to find Ranma. 

Ranko gave a derisive laugh.

"Yeah, you always had a way with women, Ranma," the girl grinned for the first time that night.

"Now, Ranko, be nice," Roki scolded gently and Ranko stopped. Ranma, however, during this time, had been spotted by one of the females hot on his tail. 

"You know what, I think I'm going to move around," he said as he picked up his step and moved through the crowd of people.

"Hey!" Ranko shouted out. "Aren't you gonna enjoy your party."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 16-year old boy moved through the crowd until he reached the large doors. He opened them and entered the silent, cool hallway with the stylish rug. Of course, everything in his houses were stylish. They had to be...Nodoka and Nami simply wouldn't allow otherwise. Feeling he needed a break, Ranma thought he'd make his way to his bedroom. Already he could hear his mother's voice, _"Ranma! You shouldn't leave during a middle of an engagement in your honor." _But it's not in my honor, is it, mom? the boy allowed himself to think for a brief moment, even if it is my birthday. Immediately, he regretted his thoughts and buried them. After all, his mother only wanted him to be happy. Silently, with his pig-tail hanging listlessly _("it's such a childish hairstyle, Ranma, I don't know why you insist on still having it") _and his hands in his pockets, Ranma made his way down the hallway towards the back stairs.

Bam! Something collided against his side and knocked the breath out of him as they both, him and his attacker, went sprawling to the floor. Ranma, getting his breath back faster then the person opposite him, looked up first. What he saw made his breath catch slightly. A girl...no, it wasn't a girl...for some reason, she looked like a woman. It was a woman with shiny, short, brown hair (perfect like Nami's) and flawless skin. 

"Excuse me, are you okay?" he asked and the woman finally looked at him. Just as he expected, her face was beautiful. There was a slight scowl on her small mouth and her dark eyes were annoyed. She was all control and cool ice. For some odd reason, Ranma's first thought had been, mom would approve of her. 

Shaking his head of his thoughts, Ranma got up quickly and awkwardly offered a hand to help her up. Pushing his hand away, the woman got up on her own. When she managed to smooth over her calm hair and dark dress enough to satisfy her, she finally looked at him. Ranma felt slightly uncomfortable under her cold, hard scrutiny. Her eyes settled long on his pig-tail and for once Ranma wished he had listened to his mother and cut it off. 

Finally, she said in an offhand manner, "Watch where you're going next time, kid." With that she turned away to walk back down the hallway. 

Embarrassment and self-righteous anger washed though Ranma in waves. At the time he had thought his feelings had been hurt, rather then his ego. He didn't rationale the fact that she had been the first girl to brush him off that way. He just knew that she had brushed him off too soon and that just wasn't supposed to happen to him.

Ranma walked over and pulled at the woman's elbow, making her turn around and face him. 

"Being a few centimeters taller in your heels doesn't give you the right to call me 'kid'. I'm sixteen. You can barely be older then that!" he exclaimed and noticed in her face what he hadn't seen before. She really wasn't a woman, after all...it just the way she held herself that made her seem that way.

"Now, why do I have to tell you?" she asked in that bland, dry way of hers.

Ranma couldn't stop his next words.

"Because I'm Ranma Saotome, that's why!" he yelled.

Suddenly, a slow change came over her face. Her eyes widened as the name clicked into her brain and they melted into flirtation and a slight awe. Her small mouth softened and lost the bland disdainful look. She actually smiled. Ranma gave a half-grin. That's better, he thought.

"Oh well, that really makes quite a difference, doesn't it?" she laughed and her perfect row of white teeth sparkled in the light. 

"What's your name?" Ranma asked with a large grin. She wasn't so intimidating, after all.

The girl turned to look at him with a large smile and soft eyes. She held out her hand for him to shake.

"Nabiki Tendo."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That was how he had met Nabiki. They had talked and laughed as they made their way back to the ballroom. The minute they had walked through the ballroom doors, they were and official couple and Ranma believed himself to be in love and infatuated. As expected, Nodoka had took to Nabiki right away and Genma only nodded to himself and said that naturally his boy would pick someone beautiful and so charming to be his girlfriend. What was surprising though was that neither Nami, Ranko or Roki liked Nabiki. Ranko, Ranma expected to not like Nabiki...Ranko didn't like anybody...but not Nami and Roki. Nami and Roki both acted polite and smiled at Nabiki and it was probably lucky that Ranma was too dense to see their true feelings toward Nabiki. Ranko was the only one that was openly hostile to the girl, but Ranko Ranma just ignored. 

Ranma and Nabiki dated for little over a year and soon he got used to her blandness and cold exterior. He told her everything about his family (not that he needed to, all she needed to do was read a newspaper every so often), but she told him little about hers. She visited his house all the time (much to the dislike of Ranko) and they went out, but he never got to see her home. All he knew was that she was the middle child with an older and younger sister. He never even learned their names. Sometimes, she would let things slip and he would learn things about her family that she would never normally let him know. Little things like how she missed her little sister made him know that her younger sibling was gone. Little things. 

They were happy, or at least Ranma was happy. The relationship continued on and a few months after their meeting, Ranma asked her to marry him and she accepted. Never once did she say she loved him and never once did he say he loved her. It was just the way things were between them. The engagement continued on for almost a year until it was Nabiki's eighteenth birthday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranma and Nabiki stood holding onto the railing of Ranma's yacht as it floated through the water. The sun was setting and the deck was empty except for the two of them. Ranma's hands were on top of his fiancees' and the silence and beauty was wonderful. Nabiki looked at her watch.

"Okay, it's past my birthday exactly. Now, can you tell me where you're taking me?" she asked. 

"Hold on," the boy said as he fished inside his pocket for the picture of the tropical island he was planning to take her. 

He handed her the large colored photo of the island and whispered, "Isle of View."

Immediately, Nabiki froze. Her hands stopped and she slowly moved her stricken face up to look at Ranma. The photo fell from her still hands. She was so pale that Ranma tightened his grasp on her hand.

"Nabiki, are you okay?" he asked worriedly. Tears suddenly sprung to the girl's eyes, washing them. It was the first time Ranma saw her with tears in her eyes.

"Oh Ranma!" she cried out in anguish as she snatched her hand away from his. "Why couldn't you have left it alone? Now, you've ruined everything! I don't love you!" With that, she turned around and fled to her cabin. Ranma didn't run after her. He just looked down at the wooden floor under his feet and wondered if he could find pieces of his heart there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranma had brought the ship back to the shore and Nabiki finally got out of her cabin. They didn't speak until they both walked onto the planks of the dock. They had had no words to say to each other. No words that seemed appropriate at the time. Ranma finally looked at Nabiki's eyes for one last time... searching...searching...searching for the love he himself thought he felt...but it wasn't there. All that was in her eyes was regret, pain and pity. He had been deceiving himself. He threw her hands away from him as though they were some hideous weapon that just created murder. 

"Ranma...I'm sorry...I tried so hard to love you...and I did love you in a way...only it's not right to marry someone for that kind of love...I loved you like I love Akane...like I love Kasumi...but not like-"

"No," he said, not wanting to hear the words.

She stopped. They stood before each other in silent for awhile.

Finally, she said, "Good-bye Ranma," and turned to leave. He didn't ask her to come back. He had too much pride for that.

Ranma watched the waters long after Nabiki left and knew he couldn't go home. He couldn't go home to where everything was so boring and his life was being wasted away. Suddenly, he didn't care that he should live the way his mother wanted him to. He was going to live the way he wanted to. He was going around the world (his parents had enough money) and he was going to do what he always loved as a kid. Learn martial arts and eat the best food. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{Their Story}

The 18-year old martial artist made his way around the sacred grounds of Jusynkuo. During his travels, he had heard much about this place and it's springs. The guide had given him a tour of the grounds and had told him to be careful not to fall in, about how fatal it would be, but the words went in one ear and right out the other. Like his father, Ranma only knew that he needed to study martial arts and this would be a great place to help him further in the arts. The bamboo sticks would help perfect his balancing, the danger of the waters would help hone his senses and help him learn to calm his pulse in the face of peril. Yes, Jusynkuo was perfect. 

Placing his backpack down onto the floor, Ranma jumped onto one bamboo stick. Now, that was simple. He flipped and jumped onto another. This was easy. He didn't know why the guide was so worried. He jumped onto a third stick and this time twisted to increase the danger. Yes, still another perfect landing. Ranma heard the distant sounds of shouting and running feet with his ears under the splashing sounds of the water. Probably just a tourist group or something. Now, to try this with his eyes closed. Ranma jumped up and landed on a stick. Whoa, slippery...nearly fell there. Maybe he should just-

"Catch me, catch me mommy!"

"Lynx, you come back here or I'll-" 

Suddenly, Ranma felt a large force collide with him. The mother of the child, horror and fear covering her senses, did the first thing she thought of to do. She ran, jumped up and pushed Ranma off the bamboo, into a spring, to catch her son. Ranma jumped up sputtering and in anger, he moved his hand under her knees and knocked her over. Caught by surprise, the mother let her son go and fell into a spring herself. Two simultaneous splashes were heard. After a few seconds, both the mother and the kid jumped up sputtering.

She first turned to her son and asked with fright, "Lynx, are you alright?"

"Argh...grrrr," the kid answered.

"Good," the girl answered as she accepted this as a reply.

The mother turned to Ranma with damp, wet hair over her face which was covered by mud and dirt from the waters. There was something about her though that didn't seem right. She seemed so...young. 

"You jerk! What did you do that for?" she screeched in indignation.

"Hey, listen, I was minding my own business until you and your kid knocked me into the spring," Ranma protested. Tensions ran high and two auras sprung up. One red, one blue. Both like fire.

Suddenly, the guide made his way over and his panicky words caught both of their attentions.

"Oh very bad, very bad. Girl fall in spring of drowned child, boy fall in spring of drowned bear and pig-tail boy fall in spring of drowned girl. Very very bad indeed."

Screams and roars came from three different springs...but nobody turned a head at the sound. After all, these sounds were natural coming from Jusynkuo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	3. Truth Find

A Changed Story

Section 3, Truth Find 

Author's Notes: Okay, so it's midterm week and I am so sick I can't even breathe (nevertheless write). Maybe a few days of reading some good Ranma fiction over again will help me along. :) 

Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"...so then the jerk had the nerve, the _nerve_, to tell _me_ that I was the one that was wrong. I mean if he hadn't been in the way, none of this would have happened!"

Ukyo leaned forward with bright eyes.

"So what did you do?"

Akane leaned back in her chair with a smug smile.

"I beat the living daylights out of him. I really hope I don't have to meet someone like that again."

The two companions sat in silence for awhile before Ukyo asked the dreaded question.

"So, is there a cure?"

Akane sighed.

"I don't know, Ucchan. I asked the guide and he told me 'not one that he was willing to tell me about'. So, here I am, stuck here with a stupid curse and poor Lynx turns into a freakin' animal just because of that-"

The brown-haired chef stood up.

"Where are you going?" Akane asked.

"Away from you," Ukyo replied. "If I hear about that 'pig-tailed jerk' one more time, I just may hunt him down myself."

"Well, you should. He deserves it," the blue-haired girl mumbled.

Ukyo's laugh echoed down the hallway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"First you leave without bothering to tell anyone and now this!" Ranko shouted through the phone.

Ranma looked uneasily at the bathroom mirror.

"Something...urgent came up. Can you send me the money or what?" he grumbled in discontent.

A screeching growl broke through one end of the phone.

"Are we really supposed to believe that stupid story you made up? Okay, so Nabiki dumped you. Big deal. Mom's been harping on us ever since you left; like I'm supposed to know where you went. _Really_!" 

Ranma rolled his eyes. He had enough of this.

"Put Nami on the phone, Ranko," he told her.

Despite how mad she was, she was still his little sister and she always did what he told her to.

"Here, Nami," Ranma said. "Maybe you can put some sense into his head."

"Ranma?" came the uncertain voice of the oldest Saotome child.

"Hi, Nami," came the soft, little-brother voice. 

Nami sighed. She knew him too well.

"You believe me, don't you Nami?" he pleaded. Nami sighed again before she spoke.

"Yes, I believe you, Ranma."

Ranko's outraged shout of "WHAT!" was suddenly cut short.

"Unfortunately," Nami continued. "I have had the displeasure of hearing about Jusenkyo. I imagine it's not that nice a place to be. Whatever possessed you to go there of all places?"

Ranma pouted (though Nami couldn't see him) and the fact that that pout made him look like Ranko all the more, made him stop.

"I don't know. I just went there and it happened. Now I look like Ranko," he told her sadly.

Nami laughed.

"What a horror that must be-" Nami began to say before the phone was snatched out of her hand.

"Listen, Ranma, I'm flying over there once I can sneak out. If you're lying...well, that curse won't be the worst thing that happened to you."

The phone went dead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The knock at the door was as familiar as the person behind it. Ono Tofu knew that knock like he knew the back of his mind. The good doctor smiled benignly at the old woman sitting in front of him and stood up.

"Well, take care, Honi-san and try to stay off that foot, okay?" he told her.

The old lady beamed at him and walked towards the door.

"Okay. Hello Kasumi dear," she greeted the young woman at the door before leaving. 

"Hello Hino-san," the young girl replied. When the lady had left, she looked up and gave Tofu a tremulous smile.

"Can I come in?" she asked him.

He gave her a shaky smile, but nodded and gestured towards a chair. He could still remember when he had first moved his office here and met her for the first time. He couldn't even so much as talk to her then. 

_But things change..._

Kasumi closed the door and took the seat gratefully. Tofu kneeled down in front of her.

"You want to talk?" he asked her like he always did.

"Yes. Thank you," she answered.

There is a silver lining in every cloud.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you okay?"

Nabiki looked up through drunken eyes. The bartender was a kid barely out of his teens with a dark mop of black hair and the most stupid bandanna. _Fashion faux pas, darling. _The thought had sprung lazily into her mind. His eyes shifted here and there as though he didn't really want to ask her that question but his conscience wouldn't allow him to just ignore her.

_Too bad, kid, _Nabiki thought. _I need someone to hear my story for once and you're just all too willing._

"No. No! I'm drunk and alone and I have just burned my last bridge out of this hellhole. How's that for a conversation starter?" she questioned him, her voice slurred.

The boy sighed but sat down. He was a good person. How rare was that?

"So, tell me," he commanded and so she did.

Nabiki's vision blurred with burning liquid. It felt like acid.

"Oh geez," she groaned as she looked at the ceiling and the old fan there. "You know the Saotome family, kid?"

The boy seemed insulted.

"I'm not stupid," he informed her.

"Anyway," she went on. "Ranma, you know Ranma Saotome? Well, I was engaged to him-"

The bartender gave a low whistle. 

"Wow..." was all he said.

Nabiki gave a disgusted snort.

"Yeah. We all wanted to keep it hush-hush. You know what I did a few weeks ago? You want to know what I did? I made the most stupid decision of my life. I broke off the engagement. Oh geez! All that money!" she cried and leaned her head on the bar.

The kid was smarter than he looked.

"It wasn't about the money, was it?" he suggested.

"No..." the girl sobbed. "It was about my one-way ticket, non-refundable. It's like standing in the middle of nowhere all your life and here comes this bus, with _air-conditioning_, that offers to take you to paradise and you say 'NO'! Oh, Nabiki Nabiki Nabiki, when did you get so stupid?"

The boy looked hopeless.

"I'm sure your family-"

"Nooooo..." Nabiki droned as she stumbled up. "Oh no. I'm not going back there. I'll starve before I'll go back there. I'll be okay. Everything will be okay. There are plenty more ways of getting money. That's what I'll do. I'll go back to the crappy motel and get a good night's rest. Everything will be fine in the morning."

With that, the poor girl stumbled out of the bar. 

Ryoga looked after her helplessly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"Nabiki, you little bitch, get back here," the voice screeched._

The little girl ran and ran. She dodged through the broken halls and continued running. Where was she going? She didn't know. She just had to get away from HER.

"You broke my favorite vase, you little-"

"No, mama, it wasn't Nabiki's fault. I - I broke it and-"

There was a loud cracking sound and the hard thump of a small body hitting the wooden floor could be heard. Nabiki's mind screamed in guilt. I'm so sorry, Kasumi,_ she cried but did not stop running. She had no false hopes in her little body of anyone saving her. She had known since the beginning that there was only Kasumi and Akane and Akane was too little to do anything herself._

She managed to get outside when she saw the light hit the shadows under the dojo. Maybe if she could just...

Once she reached the dojo floor, Nabiki noticed the pair of glittering baby eyes already under there.

"Nabiki-chan," a soft voice whispered. The middle child groaned but ran off. She wasn't going to force Akane out of her hiding place and into the danger. No matter how selfish she was (or thought she was) she was not that cruel.

Maybe if she could just-

A hand grabbed her collar and yanked her back.

"Got you now, Nabiki" a voice hissed.

Nabiki screamed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's not fair!" 

The girl's scream of outrage bounced off the marble walls.

"Please try to be quiet, Ranko-chan," the other twin said from under her glasses.

"Sorry Roki, but it isn't! How does she expect us to save Ranma if she cuts off our money supply? Really! Mom can be so...ugh sometimes," the redhead continued to rant.

"Great use of adjectives," Roki commented.

Nami sighed at her younger sister's childish behavior.

"Mother's attending a banquet that will benefit the family greatly, Ranko. You must have patience," she said.

Ranko scowled.

"Ah, shut up, Nami!"

The oldest Saotome frowned and sat down but said nothing.

Ranko threw her arms up in the air. 

"That's it," she proclaimed as she promptly marched to her large closet. "I don't need mom's money anyway. I'm going to make sure that my brother's okay after that money-hungry bitch-"

"Ranko!" came the exclaimed cry.

"Nami!" came the mimic. Clothes were rapidly being piled into the bag. Roki slowly put down her book and started to pack her own clothes.

"Roki!" Nami cried out again in shock.

Roki just looked at her older sister patiently.

"Someone has to watch out for her," she said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ukyo hummed as she carried the bag of groceries down the street. It was a bright morning and she had decided to do the shopping for today (even if it was Akane's turn). _Maybe I'll just sit down awhile to enjoy the scenery. I mean, Akane isn't even awake yet,_ and with that thought she sat down on a bench-

"Ow! Hey, watch it!" a voice squealed from under the lump of newspapers. Ukyo jumped up and looked down at the disheveled red-headed girl who had just sat up.

"Did you sleep there all night?" the chef asked in wonderment. The girl was too young to be a bum and she looked fairly clean.

"Yeah, so?" the redhead mumbled as she moved the newspapers and her legs off the bench.

Ukyo sat down.

"It's not like I can go home," the redhead added.

_Deja vu_, Ukyo thought.

"Why not, sug?" the chef questioned. The redheaded girl looked suspicious for a second before leaning back nonchalantly on the bench.

"I'm out of money," she answered. "It's hard to do anything without money or food."

_I did it before..._

"Why don't you come stay with me and my friend then? We have a spare room and we can give you a job in our restaurant-"

Ukyo wasn't even finished when the other jumped up enthusiastically.

"Really? Thanks!" she yelled.

"No problem..." Ukyo answered hesitantly.

_I really got to stop doing this..._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


End file.
